Meiji 37 (明治三十七年)
Timeline of 1904
- 1904/2/20 Ôshiro Kôzô departs Kobe for Manila, to prepare to oversee the settlement of the first Okinawan emigrants to the Philippines.
- 1904/4/10 Three hundred sixty Okinawans depart Naha for Manila, to become the first Okinawans to settle in the Philippines.
- 1904/4/30 St. Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World's Fair), at which Japan exhibits, opens.
- 1904/7 Fisherman by Yamamoto Kanae, oft-cited as the first print of the sôsaku hanga movement, is published in the July issue of the art & literary magazine Myôjô.
- 1904/7/6 Two hundred and twenty three Okinawans depart Kobe for Mexico, the first Okinawan emigrants to journey to Latin America.
- 1904/12/1 St. Louis World's Fair closes.
Russo-Japanese War
- 1904/2/6 Diplomatic relations are broken off with Russia.
- 1904/2/8 Russo-Japanese War begins - Battle of Port Arthur
- 1904/2/9 Battle of Chemulpo Bay
- 1904/2/10 War is officially declared.
- 1904/4/30-5/1 Battle of Yalu River
- 1904/5/2 General Nogi Maresuke captures Port Arthur.
- 1904/5/25-5/26 Battle of Nanshan
- 1904/6/14-6/15 Battle of Te-li-Ssu
- 1904/7/17 Battle of Motien Pass
- 1904/7/24-7/25 Battle of Tashihchiao
- 1904/7/31-8/1 Battle of Hsimucheng
- 1904/8/10 Battle of the Yellow Sea
- 1904/8/14 Battle of Ulsan
- 1904/8/19 Siege of Port Arthur begins (ends 1905/1/1).
- 1904/8/20 Battle of Korsakov
- 1904/8/24-9/4 Battle of Liaoyang
- 1904/10/9-10/20 Battle of Shaho
- 1904/10/15 Russian Second Pacific Squadron sets sail from the Baltic on its way to Korea.
Other Events of 1904
- Giacomo Puccini composes Madame Butterfly.
- George Sansom first begins serving in Japan as an advisor and representative of the United Kingdom.
- Shô Jun is elected to the House of Peers.
- The Awakening of Japan, by Okakura Kakuzô, is published.
- Torii Ryûzô travels to Okinawa for the second time for research.
- Female shamans, or yuta, are suppressed in Okinawa.
Births and Deaths
- Isabella Bird dies (b. 1831).
- Artist Hashimoto Meiji is born.
- Lafcadio Hearn dies (b. 1850).
- Isamu Noguchi is born (d. 1988).
- Painter Taki Katei dies (b. 1830).
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